most republicans don't see chuck hagel as a stand-up guy anymore. and said the reason he's there, is they're asking republicans, nominal republicans to cut the defense budget, that's one thing to do in republican circles and that's why he's there. >> jon: have the politics of this choice been examined? if you want to fracture the republican senate the way you fractured the republican house with a the fiscal cliff vote you pick chuck hagel. >> it's interesting, and folks went off bill kristol, why he's doing this, and i felt that was manufactured. >> it's an interesting pick though because this would be typically obama's m-o to choose the republican he can get with to try to break apart the republicans in the congress. but the problem with hagel, he doesn't really have any senate allies on either side. he was a very prickly guy when he was in there he has no natural allies. what's interesting, which i don't think really has been covered, is the fact that he was picked because he ended up opposing the iraq war and voted for it and then turned on it. t